Listening: The key to success using eJamming AUDiiO // 2007-04-24
Focus on what you’re hearing
When using eJamming the very first time, most people tend to get thrown by the strange new feel, and therefore tend to react by slowing down their movements. This happens in large part because they are focusing on what they are doing physically, the discrepancy between their ears and their body, and not focusing on what they hear. But what eJamming forces you to do to be successful when connecting is to truly focus on what you're hearing and not what you're doing.
To take it a step further than just hearing, the key is to Listen. That is what making music is about anyway, right? Disconnecting what we are doing physically from what we hear, and truly letting our minds and our souls focus on what we hear and feel. That is, listening.
eJamming immediately forces you to focus. You must listen and separate your actions to be successful, I know that. When I started focusing on what I was hearing in my headphones and not what my arms and legs were doing, I was amazed at how my mind and body adapts. The reason we recommend headphones so strongly is because it is easier to isolate only the delayed ejamming signal, rather than fighting with speakers and the sounding of your instrument live in the room. It’s much harder to focus on the sync delay if you monitor only through speakers.
TIP: Don't Look at Your Instrument
Our bodies really are adaptable, so don't limit yourself by getting frustrated and giving up. Here’s a TIP: force yourself to not even look at your instrument while using eJamming AUDiiO. Look out a window, look at the computer, look at your dog, anything besides looking at your instrument, and you will quickly see results as you adjust and naturally play ahead of the beat, placing your music with what you’re hearing coming from the other musicians you’re playing with.
Master this and you've mastered an essential concept of musicianship while using or not using eJamming. That is, to truly be a master of your instrument you’ve got to play to what you hear and not watch what you’re doing on the instrument. Watch just about every great musician, most of them rarely look at their instrument while playing.
Results
What's cool is when you leave an eJamming session, and you're jamming with your friends or on stage with a band, that same ability to not focus on what your hands and feet are doing and to focus instead on what you’re hearing, starts to stick with you even more strongly. I found myself listening to my band mates better and focusing on them, instead of playing mechanically. And we all know, we can fall into that mechanical playing trap sometimes. In addition, I found that I truly use my ears better in all musical settings, whether it is in a studio session or just listening to a CD in the car.
So, really challenge yourself to focus on what's happening in those headphones and not what your body is doing. You will be absolutely astonished at how quickly you adjust and in addition, at how much more control and ability you have to separate what you’re doing from what you want to hear in various musical settings. Give it a shot, and I'll see you on eJamming soon.